This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
On December 10, 2019, the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) announced a significant funding boost for its Women in News program. The organization received a seven million Euro grant from SIDA, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, to support its sector-leading Women in News program.
The four-year grant will enable Women in News to expand to new markets, launch global research initiatives, and build internal capacity to operate the program throughout the Arab Region and Sub-Saharan Africa.
WAN-IFRA and its funding partners believe that the underrepresentation of women in the making of news and in the news, as well as the disparities between men and women within the global news media industry, undermine the contribution the media can have on democratic development and human rights.
Head of Women in News Melanie Walker expressed her gratitude and excitement about the prospects for continued expansion and impact. 'We launched WIN almost 10 years ago on a shoestring budget and a novel approach. As the programme has evolved, we’ve never lost sight of the programme’s essence, that of local ownership and community,' she said.
WAN-IFRA’s CEO Vincent Peyregne added, 'WAN-IFRA has a particular role to play in partnering with the news media industry to improve our gender balance metrics across the board. We are an industry that continues to trail behind others when it comes to diversity and inclusion.'
